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To better understand the correlation between structure and properties in thermoplastic starch biopolymer blend films, the effects of amylose content, chain length distribution of amylopectin and molecular orientation of thermoplastic sweet potato starch (TSPS) and thermoplastic pea starch (TPES) on microstructure and functional properties of thermoplastic starch biopolymer blend films were studied. After thermoplastic extrusion, the amylose contents of TSPS and TPES decreased by 16.10 % and 13.13 %, respectively. The proportion of the chains with the degree of polymerization between 9 and 24 of amylopectin in TSPS and TPES increased from 67.61 % to 69.50 %, and from 69.51 % to 71.06 %, respectively. As a result, the degree of crystallinity and molecular orientation of TSPS and TPES films increased as compared to sweet potato starch and pea starch films. The thermoplastic starch biopolymer blend films possessed a more homogeneous and compacter network. The tensile strength and water resistance of thermoplastic starch biopolymer blend films increased significantly, whereas thickness and elongation at break of thermoplastic starch biopolymer blend films decreased significantly. • The structure-function relationship of thermoplastic starch films was analyzed. • Thermoplastic starch films showed higher molecular orientation and crystallinity. • The chains with DP between 9 and 24 and molecular orientation were the dominant factors. • Thermoplastic starch films showed a better tensile strength and water resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strawberries are prone to rapid quality deterioration after harvest. Research has confirmed that a magnetic field can improve fruit quality during postharvest storage. However, how the magnetic field impacts the postharvest physiology of strawberries is far from being explored. In this study, the magnetic field (MF, 4 mT, and 50 Hz) was employed during the storage of strawberries at 4 °C for 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 15 d, and conventional refrigeration (CR) was used as the control. The results showed that the MF maintained better fruit quality, as indicated by lower decay incidence, declined weight loss, and greater firmness retention. The decrease in soluble solids content and titratable acidity of strawberries caused by respiratory depletion was also alleviated by MF. Furthermore, an improvement in the adenosine triphosphate level, energy charge, activity of enzymes (H+-ATPase, Ca2+-ATPase, succinate dehydrogenase, and cytochrome oxidase) involved in the respiratory metabolism, as well as primary respiratory metabolites (D -glucose, succinic acid, fumaric acid, and citric acid) were observed for the strawberries of MF group. Accumulations of hydrogen peroxide, superoxide anion, and malondialdehyde were suppressed with the application of MF. Overall, the MF contributed to maintaining higher energy and membrane integrity and function, regulating the levels of energy metabolism enzymes, and mitigating reactive oxygen species accumulation, which might be a part of the mechanism involved in retarding the senescence and decay of harvested strawberries. [Display omitted] • MF treatment maintained better strawberries' quality. • MF could maintain ATP content and energy charge. • MF could maintain energy metabolism enzymes activity. • MF treatment alleviated the accumulation of ROS. • MF treatment delayed the postharvest senescence of strawberries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • COF-SO 3 H/polydopamine was used as composite interlayer to tailor TFC-PC X membrane. • The interlayer served as a regulator to control the polyamide layer morphologies. • The hydrophilicity and surface charge of membrane were enhanced by the interlayer. • The TFC-PC 0.08 membrane exhibited high permeability and Na 2 SO 4 rejection. Thin-film composite nanofiltration (TFC NF) membranes can separate neutral/charged solutes and play an essential role in water purification. However, the permeability of traditional NF membranes is severely limited by excessive mass transfer resistance due to the thick polyamide (PA) layer. Introducing porous nanomaterials as an interlayer into PA NF membranes has been recognized as an effective approach to improve permeability. Herein, a novel composite interlayer consisting of anionic covalent organic frameworks with abundant sulfonic acid groups (COF-SO 3 H) and polydopamine was designed to regulate interfacial polymerization to construct the highly permeable TFC NF membranes. The surface negative charge and hydrophilicity of the TFC NF membranes can be controlled by the abundant polar groups in the composite interlayer. Moreover, mass transfer resistance can be reduced by introducing COF-SO 3 H to create additional water transport channels. The results showed that the optimal membrane manifested attractive permeability (44.2 L⋅m−2⋅h−1⋅bar−1) and a high Na 2 SO 4 rejection (98.7 %), almost 3-fold higher than that of the original TFC membrane. Furthermore, the optimal membrane exhibited favorable anti-fouling performance and stability. This work provides insight into strategies for fabricating highly permeable TFC NF membranes through the introduction of an interlayer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Balancing the convergence and diversity of the population is crucial for solving multi-objective problems. As the number of objectives increases, the inherent conflict between maintaining diversity and ensuring convergence becomes more significant. To address this challenge, we propose a novel evolutionary algorithm that selectively emphasizes either convergence or diversity, guided by the convergence and diversity indicators of the current population and a predefined priority criterion. During the iterative process, the algorithm strategically aims to either approach the true Pareto front to improve convergence or foster a more uniform distribution within the current Pareto layer to enhance diversity. Continuous monitoring of these indicators enables the algorithm to effectively manage and fine-tune the convergence and diversity of the population. We meticulously evaluated the performance of the proposed algorithm by comparing it with eight state-of-the-art evolution algorithms on 31 benchmark problems. The experimental results unequivocally demonstrated the outstanding performance of the proposed algorithm in solving multi-objective problems. Furthermore, the algorithm can be seamlessly incorporated into other evolution algorithms to strike a delicate balance between diversity and convergence, thereby empowering them to tackle challenging many-objective optimization tasks with enhanced efficiency and accuracy. • A mechanism for managing convergence-diversity trade-offs in MaOPs as objectives grow. • An MOEA balances convergence and diversity via indicators and priority criterion. • Extensive experiments validated SEA's superior performance in MaOPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the effect of constant-current pulsed electric field thawing (CC-T) on the proteins and water-holding capacity of pork. Fresh meat (FM), and frozen meat after constant-voltage thawing (CV-T), air thawing (AT) and water immersion thawing (WT) were considered as controls. The results indicated that CC-T had a higher thawing rate than conventional thawing during ice-crystal melting stage (−5 to −1 °C). It also showed a lower water migration and thawing loss, maintaining pH and shear force closer to FM. Meanwhile, CC-T decreased myoglobin oxidation, resulting in a favorable surface color. The results of protein solubility, differential scanning calorimetry, total sulfhydryl, carbonyl and surface hydrophobicity demonstrated that CC-T reduced myofibrillar protein oxidative denaturation by suppressing the formation of disulfide and carbonyl bonds, thus enhancing solubility and thermal stability. Additionally, microstructural observation found that CC-T maintained a relatively intact muscle fiber structure by reducing muscle damage and myosin filament denaturation. [Display omitted] • CC-T reduced the conversion of immobilized water to free water in the meat. • CC-T resulted in higher protein solubility and thermal stability than AT and WT. • CC-T had a lower degree of myofibrillar protein oxidation compared to AT and WT. • CC-T resulted in less muscle tissue damage, making the fiber structure more complete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel pyridylpyrazole amide compounds which contain benzothiazole, thiourea, and urea moieties, respectively, were successfully synthesized. Their structures were confirmed by IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and HRMS. Some of the compounds were found to have favorable insecticidal potentials; particularly, the insecticidal activities of 3-chloro-1-(3-chloropyridin-2-yl)-N-(6-(trifluoromethyl)benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-1H-pyrazole-5-carboxamide (3b), 1-(3-chloropyridin-2-yl)-N-(4,6-dichlorobenzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazole-5-carboxamide (3g), 3-bromo-N-(4-chloro-2-(3-ethylthioureido)phenyl)-1-(3-chloropyridin-2-yl)-1H-pyrazole-5-carboxamide (6e), 3-bromo-N-(4-chloro-2-(3-isopropylthioureido)-6-methylphenyl)-1-(3-chloropyridin-2-yl)-1H-pyrazole-5-carboxamide (6g), 3-bromo-1-(3-chloropyridin-2-yl)-N-(2-(3-isopropylureido)-6-methylphenyl)-1H-pyrazole-5-carboxamide (7c), 3-bromo-N-(4-chloro-2-(3-isopropylureido)phenyl)-1-(3-chloropyridin-2-yl)-1H-pyrazole-5-carboxamide (7d), 3-bromo-N-(4-chloro-2-(3-isopropylureido)-6-methylphenyl)-1-(3-chloropyridin-2-yl)-1H-pyrazole-5-carboxamide (7f), and 3-bromo-N-(2-(3-(tert-butyl)ureido)-4-chloro-6-methylphenyl)-1-(3-chloropyridin-2-yl)-1H-pyrazole-5-carboxamide (7g) were close to and even superior to those of the insecticide triflumuron toward diamondback moth, and can be used as novel insecticidal leading structures for further investigations. Some of the compounds showed good fungicidal potentials against a broad spectrum of tested fungi including Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Cercospora arachidicola, Physalospora piricala and Rhizoctonia cerealis, and were comparable with the commercial fungicide controls, among others, 3b, 3-bromo-1-(3-chloropyridin-2-yl)-N-(6-(trifluoromethyl)benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-1H-pyrazole-5-carboxamide (3d), and N-(4-chloro-2-methyl-6-(3-methylthioureido)phenyl)-1-(3-chloropyridin-2-yl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazole-5-carboxamide (6i) could serve as novel fungicidal leading compounds for further research. The structure-activity relationships were analyzed and discussed in detail. This research provides useful information for the design and discovery of novel insecticidal/fungicidal agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Free-standing and flexible polypyrrole (PPy) nanotube/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) hybrid films were prepared by vacuum filtration of a mixture of PPy nanotubes and GO nanosheets followed by hydrogen iodide (HI) treatment. The hybrid films were fabricated by the homogeneous intercalation of PPy nanotubes into the lamellar rGO nanolayers. The unique network in the PPy nanotube/rGO hybrid films helped to prevent the aggregation of graphene nanosheets and supply effective conducting channels for electron transfer. As a result, the films exhibited improved flexibility, mechanical strength and electrical conductivity. The power factor of PPy/rGO hybrid film at room temperature was about 135 times larger than that of PPy nanotube film. Furthermore, the PPy/rGO hybrid films exhibited excellent stable thermoelectric performance after repeated mechanical bending. These results indicate that PPy nanotube/rGO hybrid film exhibits promising potential for application in high-performance and flexible thermoelectric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel pyrazole carboxamides with a diarylamine-modified scaffold were modified based on the bixafen (Bayer) fungicide, which has excellent activity against Rhizoctonia solani, Rhizoctonia cerealis and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. To discover the potential insecticidal activity of these novel pyrazole carboxamides, the present study explored their possible cytoactivity on the insect neuronal cells (RP-HzVNC-AW1) in Helicoverpa zea . The preliminary bioassays showed that some of the target compounds exhibited good cytoactivity against AW1 cells. Among them, compounds a5 and b4 – b7 showed good activity in vitro with IC 50 values of 11.28, 10.46, 9.04, 11.72 and 12.19 μM, respectively. Notably, the IC 50 value of compound b5 was better than 11.81 μM for fipronil. We subsequently attempted to illustrate the mechanism of b5 . Intracellular biochemical assays showed that b5 induced AW1 cell apoptosis with a decrease in themitochondrial membrane potential, as well as a significantly increased intracellular calcium ion concentration and caspase-3 activity. A significant decrease in Bcl-2 levels and a marked augmentation of cytochrome-c and Bax were also detected. These results indicate that a mitochondrially dependent intrinsic pathway contributes to compound b5 -induced apoptosis in AW1 cells. This study suggests that b5 may act as a potential insecticide that can be used for further optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel organic small molecule with D-Pi-A structure was prepared, which was found to be a promising colorimetric and ratiometric UV–vis spetral probe for detection of phosphorylated proteins with the help of tetravalent zirconium ion. Such optical probe based on chromophore WYF-1 shows a rapid response (within 10 s) and high selectivity and sensitivity for phosphorylated proteins, giving distinct colorimetric and ratiometric UV–vis changes at 720 and 560 nm. The detection limit for phosphorylated proteins was estimated to be 100 nM. In addition, detection of phosphorylated proteins in placental tissue samples with this probe was successfully applied, which indicates that this probe holds great potential for phosphorylated proteins detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on modeling the walking-induced dynamic load and its effects on structures has been increasing in recent years. Existing standards for estimating the acceleration response excited by crowd takes ( is the number of walking persons in a crowd) times the single pedestrian load as the crowd load, neglecting uncertainties in the related parameters. This paper proposes a method for predicting the crowd-induced structural acceleration response based on the Bayesian theory. Parameters of the crowd include the distribution of stepping frequency, the interval of arriving time and the weight of pedestrians. By combining the existing methods for calculating the structural response to a pedestrian load and the Bayesian theory, the root-mean-square acceleration along with the crowd parameters are obtained. A field investigation is conducted to study the walking characteristics of pedestrians, including the distribution of stepping frequency, walking velocity and step length. The case of a crowd moving across a simply supported beam bridge is taken for illustration. The acceleration response under the crowd load with different stepping frequencies is calculated. A comparison between the results from the Bayesian method and the design standards is conducted. The proposed method is found to yield acceptable results, and is then applied to estimating the acceleration response of a typical Tibetan heritage building, with the result compared with a field measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of tree species on microbial communities, secondary metabolites (phenolic acids) and soil chemical properties need to be further studied. Four tree species (poplar, Korean pine, larch and Mongolian pine) and abandoned land were selected, and the impact on soil microbial communities, soil chemical properties and phenolic acids were studied in northeastern China. This study found that soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) were higher in all plantations compared to the abandoned land and were significantly higher in the poplar plantation. The complex phenol content was significantly higher in forest soils compared to the abandoned land, and the complex phenol and water-soluble phenol contents showed the opposite trend. All plantations except Mongolian pine had improved soil microbial biomass to varying degrees compared with the abandoned land. Fungal biomass was changed by afforestation to a greater extent than by bacteria. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the tree species significantly influenced the soil microbial composition and structure. Redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that soil C, N and the N/P ratio were significantly associated with PLFA markers. Pearson correlation analysis showed that SOC and TN were positively associated with fungi, while soil phenolic acids did not show any significant correlation with soil microorganisms. The soil chemical properties and microbial communities were improved by the conversion of abandoned land to forest. The poplar plantation had improved soil nutrient and fungal biomass contents compared to the three conifer plantations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In recent years, adlay water extract and related products have been widely consumed. This study investigated the chemical components and bioactive properties of adlay water extract at different germination stages. Glucose and maltose were significantly increased, whereas fructose was slightly decreased after germination. The contents of vitamins C and B1 in the water extract increased 1.61‐ and 2.68‐fold, respectively. The amounts of peptides, especially those with a molecular weight under 3000 Da, were significantly increased after germination. During germination, the level of total free amino acids rose from 54.09 to 128.22 μg mL−1, and the percentage of essential amino acids was elevated from 21.63% to 42.13%. Germination also substantially augmented the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the water extract. Moreover, the germinated adlay water extract showed higher inhibitory activity on angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE), xanthine oxidase and tyrosinase than the water extract of nongerminated adlay. These findings revealed that germination might be a potential way to improve the nutritional value and bioactive properties of adlay water extract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Germinated adlay has gained considerable research attentions due to its improved texture and larger amounts of secondary metabolites than raw adlay. This study aimed to investigate the effect of acids pretreatments on the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of germinated adlay. Germination whether with or without acid pretreatment showed no significant effect on the Fourier transform‐infrared spectra and X‐ray diffraction patterns. However, acid pretreatment lowered the degradation of adlay storage protein and starch during the germination process. Citric acid pretreatment resulted an increase in the free amino acid content. The acid‐pretreated germinated adlay flour, especially the lactic acid‐pretreated, exhibited higher pasting viscosity than the control. Furthermore, pretreatment with citric acid significantly increased the phenolic (18.3%) and flavonoid (17.0%) contents as well as the antioxidant activity (39.1%) compared with the control, while lactic acid pretreatment significantly decreased these parameters by 14.9, 9.0, and 16.8%, respectively. Practical applications: Germination has been recognized as a cheap and efficient technology for improving the nutritional value and physicochemical property of adlay. Cereal grains demonstrate several types of physiological and biochemical responses toward environment stress, and some acids at the right concentrations are reported to enhance the germination. This study evaluated the effects of 1% (wt/vol) citric and lactic acids pretreatments on the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of germinated adlay. The results indicate that citric acid was a suitable elicitor for improving the nutritional and antioxidant properties of the germinated adlay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine actinomycetes are less investigated compared to terrestrial strains as potential sources of natural products. To date, few investigations have been performed on culturable actinomycetes associated with South China Sea sediments. In the present study, twenty-eight actinomycetes were recovered from South China Sea sediments after dereplication by traditional culture-dependent method. The 16S rRNA gene sequences analyses revealed that these strains related to five families and seven genera. Twelve representative strains possessed at least one of the biosynthetic genes coding for polyketide synthase I, II, and nonribosomal peptide synthetase. Four strains had anti-Mycobacterium phlei activities and five strains had activities against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. 10 L-scale fermentation of strains Salinispora sp. NHF45, Nocardiopsis sp. NHF48, and Streptomyces sp. NHF86 were carried out for novel and bioactive compounds discovery. Finally, we obtained a novel α-pyrone compound from marine Nocardiopsis sp. NHF48, an analogue of paulomenol from marine Streptomyces sp. NHF86 and a new source of rifamycin B, produced by Salinispora sp. NHF45. The present study concluded that marine actinomycetes, which we isolated from South China Sea sediments, will be a suitable source for the development of novel and bioactive compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of alcohol-acid degradation on the structural and physicochemical characteristics of guar gum. Guar gum (50 wt.%) was treated with methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol, or 1-butanol containing 1 or 2 mL 36% hydrochloric acid at 75 °C for 30–240 min. The linear relationship between 1/Mw and time suggested that alcohol-acid degradation followed first-order kinetics with rate constants varying directly with the number of alcohol carbon atoms and acid concentration. Alcohol-acid treatment exerted no effect on the chemical and crystal structure of guar but significantly decreased shear viscosity, slightly increased solubility, mildly reduced thermostability, and dramatically darkened colour. This study extended the knowledge of the effect of alcohol on the acid hydrolysis of guar and will contribute to the development of a large-scale procedure for guar gum degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared to traditional heating methods by static immersion or stirring, induced electric field (IEF) treatment can significantly increase hydrolysis rate of potato starch. The aim of this study was to examine the characterization of acid hydrolysis of granular potato starch under IEF. Potato starch was hydrolyzed using 0.15 mol/L HCl combined with IEF (IEF-HCl) at an excitation voltage of 75 V from 4 h to 120 h. The changes in granular, crystal, and molecular structure of starch granules during IEF-HCl hydrolysis were investigated. Scanning electron microscope analysis showed the outer surface of potato starch was firstly attacked by free ions and then the inner structures was completely disrupted and broken into pieces. X-ray diffraction studies indicated that the crystallinity decreased from 38.92% to 34.9% after 4-h hydrolysis, and then gradually increased to 41.88% as hydrolysis time increased to 96 h, but decreased thereafter. The weight-average molecular weight dramatically decreased from 104.7 × 10 6 Da to 9.291 × 10 6 Da in the first 24 h and then decreased gradually. These results suggested that there were three steps in the catalytic process of IEF-HCl hydrolysis. Initially, hydrogen ions destroyed the external crystalline shell of granules. Next, hydrogen ions attacked the loose amorphous region and dense crystalline part within starch granules simultaneously. Finally, the remaining crystalline region was hydrolyzed slowly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs), including GDE-In 0.90 Sn 0.10 , GDE-In 0.47 Sn 0.53 and GDE-In 0.22 Sn 0.78 , were prepared by electrodeposition of In–Sn alloys on carbon fiber paper, and then used to explore the electroreduction of CO 2 to formate in aqueous solution. Compared with commercial indium or Sn foil catalysts, the GDE-In 0.90 Sn 0.10 electrode in particular is shown to have excellent catalytic performance towards electroreduction of CO 2 to formate, with a high Faradaic efficiency (~ 92%). More importantly, the catalytic activity of GDE-In 0.90 Sn 0.10 remained reasonably stable over a 22-hour period of electrolysis, and a relatively high electrolytic current density (15 mA cm − 2 ) was obtained in an aqueous medium, demonstrating its potential for electrochemical reduction of CO 2 to formate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional carbon nanotube frameworks have been prepared via pyrolysis of polypyrrole nanotube aerogels that are synthesized by the simultaneous self-degraded template synthesis and hydrogel assembly followed by freeze-drying. The microstructure and composition of the materials are investigated by thermal gravimetric analysis, Raman spectrum, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and specific surface analyzer. The results confirm the formation of three-dimensional carbon nanotube frameworks with low density, high mechanical properties, and high specific surface area. Compared with PPy aerogel precursor, the as-prepared three-dimensional carbon nanotube frameworks exhibit outstanding adsorption capacity towards organic dyes. Moreover, electrochemical tests show that the products possess high specific capacitance, good rate capability and excellent cycling performance with no capacitance loss over 1000 cycles. These characteristics collectively indicate the potential of three-dimensional polypyrrole-derived carbon nanotube framework as a promising macroscopic device for the applications in environmental and energy storages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The induced electric field assisted hydrochloric acid (IEF-HCl) hydrolysis of potato starch was investigated in a fluidic system. The impact of various reaction parameters on the hydrolysis rate, including reactor number (1–4), salt type (KCl, MgCl 2 , FeCl 3 ), salt concentration (3–12%), temperature (40–55 °C), and hydrolysis time (0–60 h), were comprehensively assessed. Under optimal conditions, the maximum reducing sugar content in the hydrolysates was 10.59 g/L. X-ray diffraction suggested that the crystallinity of IEF-HCl-modified starches increased with the intensification of hydrolysis but was lower than that of native starch. Scanning electron microscopy indicated that the surface and interior regions of starch granules were disrupted by the hydrolysis. The solubility of IEF-HCl-modified starches increased compared to native starch while their swelling power decreased, contributing to a decline in paste viscosity. These results suggest that IEF is a notable potential electrotechnology to conventional hydrolysis under mild conditions without any electrode touching the subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) are the primary phase II enzymes catalyzing the conjugation of glucuronic acid to the xenobiotics with polar groups for facilitating their clearance. The UGTs belong to a superfamily that consists of diverse isoforms possessing distinct but overlapping metabolic activity. The abnormality or deficiency of UGTs in vivo is highly associated with some diseases, efficacy and toxicity of drugs, and precisely therapeutic personality. Despite the great effects and fruitful results achieved, to date, the expression and functions of individual UGTs have not been well clarified, the inconsistency of UGTs is often observed in human and experimental animals, and the complex regulation factors affecting UGTs have not been systematically summarized. This article gives an overview of updated reports on UGTs involving the various regulatory factors in terms of the genetic, environmental, pathological, and physiological effects on the functioning of individual UGTs, in turn, the dysfunction of UGTs induced disease risk and endo- or xenobiotic metabolism-related toxicity. The complex cross-talk effect of UGTs with internal homeostasis is systematically summarized and discussed in detail, which would be of great importance for personalized precision medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The toxicity effects of chiral pesticides on living organisms have attracted an increasing public attention. This study aims to investigate the toxicity effect and mechanism of hexaconazole (HEX) to human breast cancer cell (MCF-7) at enantiomer levels. HEX exposure obviously inhibited cells activities in a dose-dependent manner. Under the conditions of VIP >1 and p < 0.05, a total of 255 and 177 differential metabolites (DMs), 17 and 15 amino acid- and lipid-related metabolic pathways were disturbed after (+)-HEX and (−)-HEX exposure, respectively. HEX exposure may affect cell membrane function, signal transduction, and cell differentiation. We further investigated the mechanism of enantioselective differences by using molecular docking which showed that CYP17A1 was the main enzyme that leading to endocrine disrupting effects with the binding energy of −6.30 and −6.08 kcal/mol compared to CYP19A1 enzyme which were −5.81 and −5.93 kcal/mol for (+)-HEX and (−)-HEX, respectively. The docking results explained the reasons why (+)-HEX achieved higher cytotoxicity and induced more seriously metabolic profiles than its antipode. These findings could provide a new insight to understand the enantioselective cytotoxicity effect and mechanism of HEX and will be conducive to assessing its risk to human health at enantiomer levels. [Display omitted] • Enantioselective toxicity effect to MCF-7 cells by hexaconazole had been observed. • Hexaconazole exposure significantly affect the metabolic profiles of MCF-7. • Hexaconazole mainly affect lipid- and amino acid-related metabolites and pathways. • (+)-hexaconazole achieved higher cytotoxicity effect to MCF-7 cells than its antipode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To illustrate the correlations between molecular structures and the film-forming properties of thermoplastic starch from various botanical sources, starches from cereal, tuber and legume were modified by thermoplastic extrusion and the corresponding thermoplastic starch films were prepared including thermoplastic corn starch (TCS), thermoplastic rice starch (TRS), thermoplastic sweet potato starch (TSPS), thermoplastic cassava starch (TCAS) and thermoplastic pea starch (TPES) films. TPES film displayed a higher tensile strength (6.28 MPa) and stronger water resistance, such as lower water solubility (15.70 %), water absorption (42.35 %), and water vapor permeability (0.285 g·mm· h −1· m −2·kPa−1) due to higher contents of amylose and B 1 chains. TCAS showed a smoother and more amorphous film due to higher amylopectin content, resulting higher elongation at break and larger opacity. TCS film was the most transparent due to a compacter network and more ordered crystallinity structure, which was suit for the packaging of fresh vegetables and aquatic products, whereas TCAS film was the opaquest, which protected package foods from light such as meat products, etc. The outcome would provide an innovative theory to regulate accurately the functional properties of thermoplastic starch films for different food needs. • The structure-function relationship of thermoplastic starch films was studied. • TPES film with higher contents of amylose and B1 chains displayed a stiffer structure. • TPES film displayed a stronger water resistance with higher amylose content and B1 chains. • TCAS film with higher amylopectin showed a higher elongation at break and opacity. • TCS film was the most transparent due to more ordered crystallinity structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • N -doped carbon microspheres (N -HCMs) with unique architecture were prepared. • N -HCMs present lightweight, ultrastrong, ultrathin, and wide microwave absorption. • N -HCMs show excellent superhydrophobicity tolerating harsh water environments. • N -HCMs endow microwave absorbing coatings with potential self-cleaning function. Advanced microwave absorbing materials with excellent microwave absorption properties and other fascinatingly additional functions continue to be highly sought after, while their fabrication still remains a huge challenge. Herein, through a facile and low-cost approach, we prepare a novel N -doped carbon microsphere with hierarchically micro-nano surface, multiporous shell, and hollow cavity to serve as a high-performance microwave absorbing material integrated with an exceptional superhydrophobicity. Specifically, the microwave absorption of the N -doped hollow carbon microspheres (N -HCMs) presents lightweight (a filler loading of 15 wt%), ultrastrong (a reflection loss of −61.2 dB), thin (a matching thickness of 1.45 mm), and very wide (an effective absorption bandwidth of 6.8 GHz) features. In particular, the absolute values of their specific reflection loss are far beyond the previously reported state-of-the-art carbon-based microwave absorbers with similar structures. Fascinatingly, the superhydrophobicity of N -HCMs is excellent and can tolerate the diversely harsh water-containing environments, which endows the microwave absorbing coatings with universally waterproof capacity as well as attractive self-cleaning function. We believe that this work can actively inspire the research of developing next-generation advanced microwave absorbing materials and pave the way for their multifunctional applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant flowering is an important economical characteristic for the transformation from vegetative growth to reproductive growth, especially for biennial crops. Additionally, bolting or flowering time is more important for vegetable plants due to their different harvest organs, such as flower for cauliflower and broccoli and leafy heads for cabbage and Chinese cabbage. The flowering time of Arabidopsis thaliana has six classical regulated pathways, and some key regulated genes are identified in Brassicaceae crops. However, the regulatory mechanism needs further exploration. Here, we reported an novel protein BraVRG (Vernalization Related Gene) of Chinese cabbage induced by vernalization. The expression of BraVRG increased rapidly at 14 day of vernalization in the semi-winter type of Brassica rapa and 21 days for the winter types. Meanwhile the modifications of H3K4me3 deposited on BraVRG increased but H3K27me3 decreased. Moreover, BraVRG promoted flowering in transgenic A. thaliana compared with the wild types accompanied the downregulated expression of FLC caused by the decrease of H3K4me3 enrichment and the increase of H3K27me3 on FLC with or without vernalization conditions. • BraVRG, an encoding protein of Brassica rapa, is induced by vernalization to change the histone modification. • BraVRG transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana lines promoted flowering time compared to wildtype Col-0. • The lower FLC expressions of BraVRG transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana caused by the changes of histone modifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mode II fracture under mode I loading was discovered in a bulk metallic glass. • Mode II fracture was induced by pivoting of the rigid ends of sample around circular arc shear bands. • Cavitation through which solids fractures was totally suppressed. • The pivoting increased energy dissipation and diminished hydrostatic tension ahead of crack tip. High fracture toughness is vital for resisting catastrophic fracture of engineering structural materials which break through cavitation instability. We report a new toughening mechanism which totally suppressed cavitation through pure mode II fracture which was induced by pivoting around circular arc shear bands in a bulk metallic glass under mode I loading. We demonstrated that the mode II crack propagated along the outmost circular arc shear band along Prandtl slip line which is the orientation of maximum shear stress ahead of crack tip. Our theoretical investigation revealed that enhanced critical hydrostatic tension for cavitation which changed the stress field ahead of fatigue crack tip would be the trigger for pivoting which would increase energy dissipation and prevent hydrostatic tension ahead of crack tip from increasing. The present work would assist in guiding microstructure design to produce monolithic and composite materials with enhanced fracture toughness. Materials fracture through cavitation. We developed a bulk metallic glass which undergoes pure shear fracture instead of cavitation with high toughening rate and toughness. The toughening rate is even higher than the slope of K I -COD curve in elastic region. This should be caused by pivoting of the rigid ends of the specimen around circular arc shear bands which is along the direction of Prandtl slip line. Our theoretical investigation revealed that enhanced critical hydrostatic tension for cavitation would be the trigger for pivoting which would increase energy dissipation and prevent hydrostatic tension ahead of crack tip from increasing. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A high permeable PA-based NF membrane was prepared by a controlled CDRIP method. • Membrane structure was optimized by complexing/dissociating processes of TA/Ca(II). • Both the hydrophilicity and surface negative charge of membrane were enhanced. • The PA/TA/Ca(II)-SC NF membrane exhibited high permeability and Na 2 SO 4 rejection. Nanofiltration (NF) that can separate neutral/charged solutes is considered as a key industrial technology in water softening and wastewater treatment. However, commercial polyamide (PA) NF membranes, with undesirable surface properties and excessive mass transfer resistance, seriously restrict the permeability and are easily attached by pollutants. In this study, a novel complex-dissociation regulated interfacial polymerization (CDRIP) strategy was proposed to prepare highly permeable polyamide-based (PA-based) NF membranes, in which tannic acid (TA)/Ca(II) complex was in situ formed on substrate surface and then dissociated by sodium citrate (SC) after interfacial polymerization. Interestingly, SC can not only adjust surface properties of PA, such as hydrophilicity and surface charge, but also form water-soluble SC/Ca(II) complexes for constructing additional transport channels within the separation layer to reduce mass transfer resistance. After the dissociation of TA/Ca(II) complex, TA remained on the membrane surface to further regulate the surface properties of separation layer. The results showed that the PA/TA/Ca(II)-SC NF membrane maintained a high Na 2 SO 4 rejection (98.5 %) and a remarkable water permeability of 31.7 L·m−2·h−1·bar−1, which is 2-fold that of the pristine PA NF membrane. Moreover, the prepared NF membrane exhibits favorable operation stability and anti-fouling ability. Therefore, by employing the CDRIP method, the permeability of NF membrane can be further improved almost without sacrificing the rejection of Na 2 SO 4 , which provides a green and efficient strategy for the fabrication of high-performance PA-based NF membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Rosemary acid (RA) and ultrasonic (US) have synergistic effect on delaying lipid oxidation of fish during storage. • The inhibitory mechanism of RA and US on endogenous LOX in Large yellow croaker was studied in vitro. • The effects of RA alone and in the presence of US on LOX were evaluated by multi-spectroscopic methods. • Hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interaction are the main driving forces of bonding. Lipid oxidation will lead to the deterioration of flavor, color and texture of aquatic products with high fatty acid content. The mechanism of ultrasound (US) combined with rosmarinic acid (RA) on lipid oxidation and endogenous enzyme activities of large yellow croaker during cold-storage (4 ℃) was investigated. The result showed that the US and RA have synergistic effects in delaying lipid oxidation and inhibiting endogenous lipase and lipoxygenase (LOX) activities related to oxidation. The inhibition of LOX activity by RA was dose-dependent, and US showed a negative effect on the inhibition of enzyme activity in the presence of low concentration RA. Moreover, RA changes the enzyme structure through static fluorescence quenching and interaction with enzyme molecules. Hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interaction are the main interaction forces between RA and LOX. This study could provide basic mechanism of US treatment cooperating with polyphenols to inhibit lipid oxidation during food preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waxy maize starch (WMS) was modified using sequential α-amylase and transglucosidase to create enzyme-treated waxy maize starch (EWMS) with higher branching degree and lower viscosity as an ideal healing agent. Self-healing properties of retrograded starch films with microcapsules containing WMS (WMC) and EWMS (EWMC) were investigated. The results indicated that EWMS-16 had the maximum branching degree of 21.88 % after transglucosidase treatment time of 16 h, and A chain of 12.89 %, B1 chain of 60.76 %, B2 chain of 18.82 % and B3 chain of 7.52 %. The particle sizes of EWMC ranged from 2.754 to 5.754 μm. The embedding rate of EWMC was 50.08 %. Compared to retrograded starch films with WMC, water vapor transmission coefficients of retrograded starch films with EWMC were lower, while tensile strength and elongation at break values of retrograded starch films were almost similar. Retrograded starch films with EWMC had higher healing efficiency of 58.33 % as compared to that Retrograded starch films retrograded starch films with WMC was 44.65 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postharvest decay is the leading constraint for extension of shelf life and marketing of strawberry fruit. In this work, strawberry fruit were treated with DENBA+ (0, control; 500 or 1200 V) and stored at 4 ℃ for 11 d to investigate its effect on postharvest quality. DENBA+ treated fruit showed reduced decay index, weight loss, firmness and pH value, compared to control. DENBA+ treatment had higher contents of soluble solids, total sugar, total phenol and anthocyanin, compared to control. In conclusion, DENBA+ could be considered an ecofriendly non-chemical alternative treatment for postharvest quality management of strawberry fruit. • Impact of DENBA+ on the storage life of strawberry fruit was studied. • Decay index and weight loss were lower in treated strawberries compared to control. • DENBA+ treatment maintained total sugar, total phenol and total anthocyanin content. • The best results were obtained at voltage strength of 500 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anolyte acidification is a drawback restricting the electricity generation performance of the buffer-free microbial fuel cells (MFC). In this paper, a small amount of alkali-treated anion exchange resin (AER) was placed in front of the anode in the KCl mediated single-chamber MFC to slowly release hydroxyl ions (OH − ) and neutralize the H + ions that are generated by the anodic reaction in two running cycles. This short-term alkaline intervention to the KCl anolyte has promoted the proliferation of electroactive Geobacter sp. and enhanced the self-buffering capacity of the KCl-AER-MFC. The pH of the KCl anolyte in the KCl-AER-MFC increased and became more stable in each running cycle compared with that of the KCl-MFC after the short-term alkaline intervention. The maximum power density ( P max ) of the KCl-AER-MFC increased from 307.5 mW·m − 2 to 542.8 mW·m − 2 , slightly lower than that of the PBS-MFC (640.7 mW·m − 2 ). The coulombic efficiency ( CE ) of the KCl-AER-MFC increased from 54.1% to 61.2% which is already very close to that of the PBS-MFC (61.9%). The results in this paper indicate that short-term alkaline intervention to the anolyte is an effective strategy to further promote the performance of buffer-free MFCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we first evaluated a satellite-based precipitation product (3B42V7) using gauge observations and then investigated its utility in supporting reservoir operation and water resources management in Hanjiang basin from January 1998 to December 2013. Direct comparison of 3B42V7 with gauge observations shows that it can well capture the spatial and temporal characteristics of precipitation over the study basin. However, the 3B42V7 estimates generally show slight underestimation of precipitation, especially for extreme precipitation events, which need be considered in the future algorithm development. Next, we conducted the long-term (2008–2013) hydrologic evaluation of the 3B42V7 product using a calibrated monthly hydrologic model. The results show that the performance of the monthly hydrologic model driven by 3B42V7 is compatible to the results driven by gauge-based simulations according to high values of Nash-Sutcliffe coefficients (0.83 and 0.66 for observation-driven and 3B47V7 driven simulations, respectively) and small values of biases (−8.16% and −3.98%). We further evaluated the applicability of 3B42V7 in reservoir operation through a set of operation experiments, in which modeled inflow series were used to make decisions. The results indicate that reservoir operations based on modeled streamflow using the 3B42V7 estimates perform well in water allocation decision-making and strongly agree with actual inflow based operations. Despite that 3B42V7 tends to slightly underestimate precipitation, the resultant operations do not impact the functions and benefits of reservoir operation much. This suggests that the 3B42V7 precipitation estimates are valuable and useful for monthly streamflow simulation and long-term reservoir operation in Hanjiang basin. This study provides a new insight on the evaluation and utility of the remote sensing based precipitation estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creating a fluidic system with an induced electrical field is regarded as an innovative, eco-friendly practice for the hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass at mild conditions. A multi-series, reconfigurable fluidic reactor was developed based on the transformer concept for the efficient hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse via the interconversion of magnetic and electrical energy. A secondary coil comprised of a mixture of sulfuric acid (or other metal electrolyte) and the sample in continuous flow was exposed to an induced electric field at 400–700 Hz to accelerate the hydrolysis. The results showed that using an induced electric field to assist hydrolysis is indeed beneficial in the production of reducing sugar (RS). The total reducing sugar (TRS) yield is positively impacted by the excitation voltage but is negatively impacted by voltage frequency and the sample solution impedance. The hydrolysis efficiency improves as the number of reactors increases in both series and parallel modes of the system. The mode of connection of the reactors has varying effect on the TRS yield owing to differences in the equivalent impedance, output power, and load power factor. Increased number of secondary coil turns also improves hydrolysis efficiency under the same input power and primary coil turns and thus increasing the TRS yield. Induced-electric-field-assisted hydrolysis (IEFAH) substantially enhances the yield (by 756% approximately, at 300 V, 400 Hz in a 4-series reactors for 24 h) compared to continuous flow heating hydrolysis (CFHH) at mild conditions (50 °C and 1% H 2 SO 4 ). The proposed fluidic system combined with an induced electric field shows remarkable potential as a green technology for the efficient hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomasses without the use of metal electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A modified Iosipescu shear test method is proposed as an alternative for measuring the shear properties of clear wood. The method adopts four-point asymmetric loading procedure in the Iosipescu shear test but with the loading positions shifted to the neutral axis of the specimen. The original V-notched specimen is replaced by a combination of polyvinyl chloride blocks at two ends and a bow-tie-shaped wood specimen in the middle to provide a better stress pattern at failure. The measured shear strength and shear moduli are compared with results from compression test and off-axis tension test. Finite element analysis is also carried out to study the stress distribution in the wood specimen. Results show that the new shear test setup can provide close-to pure shear stress state in the specimen yielding better estimates of the shear properties of wood. The shear strength obtained by the new test setup is slightly lower than that from the off-axis tensile test which is probably due to the relatively thick specimen chosen in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on long-term rainfall measurements (1956–2012), water level records (1956–2006), and aquatic plants field survey data (1960–2014), the relationship between precipitation and aquatic vegetation succession in east Taihu Lake, China, is studied. Neither abrupt changes nor any trends were found in the annual rainfall series in Taihu Lake during the studied period (1956–2012). However, for seasonal variations, statistically significant decreases are found in spring and autumn, while the rainfall in winter exhibits statistically significant increase. No significant trend was obtained in summer. A “dry” period was detected in our studied period (1963/1964~1978/1979). Total annual rainfall was significantly positively correlated to the number of rain-days (r=0.59) and the water level (r=0.84). Our results indicate that the variations of rainfall and water level may have an impact on the aquatic plants in Taihu Lake. The dry period may be not suitable for the growth of the aquatic plants. All aquatic plants in Taihu Lake were dramatically reduced in the dry period, especially for submerged macrophytes and floating-leaf macrophytes. Our results may be helpful for the aquatic restoration in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To quantify potential relevant factors that affect the biocompatibility and functionality of intraocular lenses (IOLs) by analyzing the surface properties of various IOL materials.Methods: Eleven IOL models with the same dioptric power made by different manufacturers were studied. The IOLs were made of poly-methyl methacrylate (PMMA), hydrophobic acrylate, hydrophilic acrylate, and silicone. The IOL surface topography was evaluated using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Surface potential was measured by electric force microscopy (EFM). Surface wettability was assessed with the water contact angle using the sessile drop method.Results: The PMMA IOLs had statistically significant surface irregularities with the highest surface roughness values while the silicone and hydrophilic acrylic IOLs had the lowest values. Surface potentials on IOLs revealed that all IOL models made of PMMA had positive charge. The hydrophobic acrylic IOL had a significantly higher positive charge (6.2v ± 0.1v), while the hydrophobic acrylic with blue blocker exhibited negative charge. Negative charge was also observed on hydrophilic acrylic IOLs (–72mv ± 5mv) and silicone IOLs (–5.06v ± 0.02v). Contact angle values of PMMA IOLs ranged from 49° to 64°. Heparin modification resulted in significant reduction of the contact angle value. IOL models made of hydrophobic acrylate had contact angle values between 78° and 89°. The silicone IOL appeared to be significantly hydrophobic with the highest mean value of 107°.Conclusions: The variance of the parameters of surface roughness, contact angle, and electrostatic charge on the surfaces of PMMA, hydrophobic acrylic, hydrophilic acrylic, and silicone IOLs is useful to the interpretation of the differences in clinical behaviors of these materials. The negative surface charge of silicone and hydrophilic IOLs might account for the occurrence of IOL calcification. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

With the intensification of human activities over the past three decades in China, adverse effects on river ecosystem become more serious especially in the Hanjiang River. Xiangyang site is an important spawn ground for four domestic fishes in the downstream region of Hanjiang River. Based on the field survey results of macrophytes during 1997–2000 and 2013-2014, community succession of aquatic macrophytes at Xiangyang site was evaluated and discussed. Two-key ecologic-related hydrologic characteristics, flow regime and water level, were identified as the main influence factors. The EFC (environmental flow components) parameters were adopted to evaluate the alteration of flow regimes at Xiangyang site during 1941–2013. Evaluation results demonstrate a highly altered flow process after being regulated by reservoir. The flow patterns tend to be an attenuation process with no large floods occurring but a higher monthly low flow. Furthermore, the water level decreased and fluctuation reduced after the dam was built, which caused the decrease of biomass but favored the submerged macrophytes during 1995–2009. However, with the water level increasing after 2010 and gently fluctuating, due to uplift by the hydraulic projects downstream as well as the flow attenuation, the dominant position of submerged macrophytes will be weakened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multi-series fluidic system based on the transformer concept was designed and built for the induced-electric-field-assisted extraction (IEFAE) of mulberry leaves polysaccharides (MLPs). Extraction was accelerated by exposing a secondary coil, made from a flowing mixture of sample grains and extractant, to a 20–80 kHz induced alternating electric field. The results indicate that this method benefits the release of polysaccharides without significantly affecting the quality of the products as evidenced by carbohydrate, protein, uronic acid, sulfuric radical and total polyphenol contents as well as average molecular weights and FT-IR . The polysaccharide yield improved as the excitation voltage increased, but the voltage frequency had a negative impact on the yield. At a solid-liquid ratio of 1:20 (g/mL), pH of 2.5, 60 °C temperature, 1000 V excitation voltage, and 20 kHz frequency, the 16-series system is performed optimally with a yield increased by 225.95% compared to the control (0 V). The relatively low environmental pH is conducive to extraction under the electric field, making the proposed system efficient for the extraction of valuable compounds without using metal electrode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tibetan heritage buildings have a high historical and cultural value. They have endured adverse environmental loadings over hundreds of years without significant damage. However, there are few reports on their structural characteristics under normal environmental loadings and their behavior under dynamic loadings. In this research, a typical Tibetan wooden wall-frame building is selected to study its dynamic characteristics. Field measurements of the structure were conducted under environmental excitation to collect acceleration responses. The stochastic subspace identification (SSI) method was adopted to calculate the structural modal parameters and obtain the out-of-plane vibration characteristics of the slab and frames. The results indicated that the wall-frame structure had a lower out-of-plane stiffness and greater in-plane stiffness due to the presence of stone walls. Due to poor identified damping ratio estimates from the SSI method, a method based on the variance upper bound was proposed to complement the existing variance lower bound method for estimating the modal damping ratio to address the significant damping variability obtained from different points and measurements. The feasibility of the proposed method was illustrated with the measured data from the floor slab of the structure. The variance lower and upper bound methods both provided consistent results compared to those from the traditional SSI method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background While carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS) have become an established procedure, outcomes of early CAS for symptomatic extracranial carotid stenosis (SECS) remain poorly understood. The present study aimed at determining the effectiveness of early CAS in SECS. Methods Herein, 224 SECS patients underwent elective CAS between January 2008 and June 2015. The study population was stratified based on the time from symptom onset to the procedure (early CAS group: within 14 days; delayed CAS group: later than 14 days). Subgroup analysis (chi-square test, Mantel-Haenszel chi-square test, and analysis of covariance) evaluated the demographics, incidence of periprocedural thromboembolic complications, cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome (CHS), intracranial bleeding, and treatment outcomes on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Results Symptomatic thromboembolic complications and CHS were noted in 2.68% and 0.89% of patients, respectively. The initial National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score was significantly higher in patients who underwent early CAS than in those who underwent delayed CAS (2.50 ± 3.97 vs. 0.97 ± 2.08, P = 0.001). After adjusting for age, duration of preprocedural dual antiplatelet therapy, initial NIHSS score, and preprocedural NIHSS score, the groups did not differ significantly regarding the incidence of symptomatic thromboembolic complications ( P = 0.195), incidence of CHS ( P = 0.950), incidence of intracranial bleeding ( P = 0.970), 30-day mRS score ( P = 0.124), and mRS score at final follow-up ( P = 0.132). Conclusions For SECS patients who cannot undergo early carotid endarterectomy, early CAS is effective and safe if selectively indicated considering disease severity. Early and delayed CAS provide comparable mRS scores, incidence of symptomatic thromboembolic complications, CHS, and intracranial bleeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of induced electric field (IEF) on the crystal structure and physicochemical properties of potato starch were investigated by subjecting identically treated control and electrically-modified samples to the same temperature history. Additionally, a method of combining IEF with heating for efficient modification of native polymer was also proposed. Results showed that the application of IEF at an electric voltage of 75 V has a statistically significant effect on starch gelatinization and pasting properties, especially when combined with heating at 50 °C. After treatment by the combination method for 96 h, the gelatinization temperatures increased, which can be explained by the slight increase in the ratio of 1044/1015 cm −1 and relative crystallinity. Furthermore, IEF reduced granular swelling and therefore contributed to decreasing the peak, breakdown, and setback viscosity of potato starch. This study explores the potential of IEF as innovative technology for starch modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To promote NaOH pretreatment of corn stalk (CS), a continuous processing system uniting magnetic field and millimeter-scaled channel flow was established. First, four comparative pretreatments were conducted: (I) CS was pretreated with NaOH under traditional agitation; (II) CS was pretreated with NaOH in a flowing state inside the millimeter-scaled channel; (III) CS was pretreated with NaOH in a flowing state and under a static magnetic field; or (IV) CS was pretreated with NaOH in a flowing state and under a rotating magnetic field. By comparison, the highest pentose (121.22 mg/g dry CS) and hexose (287.04 mg/g dry CS) yields were obtained in the shortest pretreatment time with Pretreatment IV (8 h). Accordingly, the key parameters of Pretreatment IV were optimized as 6.71 Hz frequency, 0.50 L/min flow rate, and 1.02% NaOH concentration. Under these conditions, 439.24 mg sugars were released by 1 g dry CS during pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ionospheric mid-latitude trough minimum position as a function of geomagnetic storm time is identified and investigated statistically in terms of the category and the intensity of storms. The data of ion density derived from DMSP and DEMETER satellites were used to extract the trough position. The variations of mid-latitude trough in 41 moderate magnetic storms and 88 intense magnetic storms in the 23rd solar cycle were studied. The results show that the trough moves toward the equator as Dst index decreases and toward the pole as Dst index increases. Compared with the ICME, MC and CIR storms, in sheath storms the trough shifts to lower latitude at the end of the main phase, although the average storm intensity is weak. During the storm recovery phase, the rapid recovery of the trough position can be seen at the start of the recovery phase for moderate CIR storms. We also calculated the correlation between the minimum latitude of the trough position and the storm magnitude as well as other related main phase parameters during all storms. We found that the minimum latitude of the trough position exhibits a strong correlation with the storm magnitude during magnetic storms. However, the correlation coefficients between the trough position and other related main phase parameters are very low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using CO 2 to replace phosgene or CO as the C1 synthon, we successfully achieved the one-pot electrochemical synthesis of 1,3,4-oxadiazol-2(3 H )-one derivatives via a three-component coupling reaction of CO 2 with aryl hydrazines and paraformaldehyde in an undivided cell. With NaI as the electro-catalyst and t -BuOK as the base, this electrochemical process could be smoothly performed to afford the target products in good to high yields at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the long-term prediction accuracy of feed grain demand, a dynamic forecast model of long-term feed grain demand is realized with joint multivariate regression model, of which the correlation between the feed grain demand and its influence factors is analyzed firstly; then the change trend of various factors that affect the feed grain demand is predicted by using ARIMA model. The simulation results show that the accuracy of proposed combined dynamic forecasting model is obviously higher than that of the grey system model. Thus, it indicates that the proposed algorithm is effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the mutual conversion between electric energy and magnetic energy, we designed and built an experimental device based on the o-core transformer structure for extraction of garlic polysaccharides. That is, an acidic solvent acted as the secondary coil conductor under the action of alternating magnetic flux and then induced an electric field in the biochemical medium (the sample and extractant) at 20-60 kHz. The polysaccharide yield improved, in comparison to the conventional heating method, when the excitation voltage applied on the primary coil was increased. Low pH helps to improve the polysaccharide yield due to the enhancement of the ionic conduction resulting from the induced electric field. However, the polysaccharide yield decreases with the increase of partial frequency due to the resulting decrease in the input power of the system. The orthogonal experiments showed that the excitation voltage, frequency, pH, and temperature all significantly affected the polysaccharide yield. The garlic polysaccharide extracted by using the induced electric field method had a DPPH radical scavenging ability and a ferric-reducing power. This novel system is a potential alternative for the extraction of garlic polysaccharides without the use of powered electrodes inserted into solutions, unlike other electric-field-assisted techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Berberrubine (BRB), the active metabolite of berberine (BBR), possesses various pharmacological activities. In this study, we found BRB showed not only a stronger lipid-lowering effect than berberine but also a specific nephrotoxicity in mice fed with high fat diet (HFD). To explore the underlying mechanism, the pharmacokinetics of BRB were evaluated. There was a greater in vivo exposure of BRB in C57BL/6J mice fed with HFD than with routine chows, in terms of Cmax, AUC 0-t , levels of BRB in kidney and urinary excretion. Moreover, i n vitro assessment clearly showed BRB had a toxic effect on renal cell lines, while the primary metabolite, berberrubine-9- O -β- d -glucuronide (BRBG), did not show any obvious toxicity. These results suggested HFD aggravated BRB-induced nephrotoxicity by promoting the in vivo exposure of BRB especially in urine and kidney. Although our previous study indicated BRB could be metabolized into BRBG, BRBG did not show any obvious toxicity in vitro . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduction of friction and wear by lamellar solid powders in lubricating system is a valid approach that can allow to formulate energy saving lubricants. An experimental study has been made of the friction properties of antigorite powders having flaked-bladed morphology and 0.86 µm of the mean particle size. The results showed that antigorite transformed to forsterite (at 793 °C) and enstatite+forsterite (at 831 °C). The friction coefficient, the wear volume and power consumption of the driving motor in system with antigorite powders were respectively reduced by 19.3%, 33.33% and 4.5–5.0% as compared with base oils. Results are explained using particle spacing-polishing and friction-induced formation of like-ceramic film mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Root hairs are plastic in response to nutrient supply, but relatively little is known about their development under low ammonium (NH 4 + ) conditions. This study showed that reducing NH 4 + for 3 days in wild-type Arabidopsis seedlings resulted in drastic elongation of root hairs. To investigate the possible mediation of ethylene and auxin in this process, seedlings were treated with 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid (TIBA, auxin transport inhibitor), 1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA, auxin transport inhibitor), p-chlorophenoxy isobutyric acid (PCIB, auxin action inhibitor), aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG, chemical inhibitor of ethylene biosynthesis), or silver ions (Ag + , ethylene perception antagonist) under low NH 4 + conditions. Our results showed that TIBA, NPA and PCIB did not inhibit root hair elongation under low NH 4 + conditions, while AVG and Ag + completely inhibited low NH 4 + -induced root hair elongation. This suggested that low NH 4 + -induced root hair elongation was dependent on the ethylene pathway, but not the auxin pathway. Further genetic studies revealed that root hair elongation in auxin-insensitive mutants was sensitive to low NH 4 + treatment, but elongation was less sensitive in ethylene-insensitive mutants than wild-type plants. In addition, low NH 4 + -induced root hair elongation was accompanied by reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. Diphenylene iodonium (DPI, NADPH oxidase inhibitor) and dimethylthiourea (DMTU, ROS scavenger) inhibited low NH 4 + -induced root hair elongation, suggesting that ROS were involved in this process. Moreover, ethylene acted together with ROS to modulate root hair elongation under low NH 4 + conditions. These results demonstrate that a signaling pathway involving ethylene and ROS participates in regulation of root hair elongation when Arabidopsis seedlings are subjected to low NH 4 + conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental system based on the o-core transformer structure was established and used to extract pectin from orange peel waste. Unlike other electric-field-assisted techniques, it avoids the use of powered electrodes. The acidic solvent acts as the secondary coil connected to a purpose-made glass chamber which forms a closed loop. Then the induced electric field in the system appears to be under the influence of alternating magnetic flux based on Faraday's law of induction . We found that an increase in the excitation voltage causes enhancement of the pectin yield. Increasing frequency from 20 to 200 kHz had a negative impact on pectin yield partially due to the increased impedance of the primary coil. The ionic conduction was enhanced at the same excitation voltage since there are more free ions in the mixture at lower pH. This means that a lower impedance in the mixture is conducive to extraction. This multidisciplinary technique combines the transformer concept with the electric-field-assisted process, thus providing a reference for the application into agricultural by-products treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]